Sarah Lockwood

About Sarah Lockwood

Sarah Lockwood put together The Prevention Coalition after watching her daughter struggle with addiction for years. She created ThePreventionCoalition.org to offer resources on substance abuse and addiction treatment.

If you are a single parent struggling with addiction, you know how hard it can be to break away from home for therapy sessions. The standard of weekly group meetings and one-on-one meetings to treat addiction did not have a single parent in mind.

Fortunately, as addiction treatments progress, more resources are becoming available for those with hectic schedules and for people struggling with addiction who have other commitments that make it difficult to participate in traditional in-patient rehabilitation. Provided you do your research and arm yourself with positive treatment strategies, it is possible to recover from addiction with alternative, family-friendly rehabilitation options. Here are a few ways you can tackle your recovery from home.

Phone Sessions

Recovering from an addiction most often requires the help of a trained counselor. However, getting to in-person appointments can be challenging for single parents. Instead, you might want to consider a therapist who offers phone sessions.

Phone sessions are essentially the same counseling you would receive in a face-to-face setting, but instead you are able to call in to participate in a counseling session. A physical session may be somewhat more effective as the therapist is able to observe your expressions and body language, but for those who have no other choice, phone sessions can certainly do their part.

Some therapists are tapping into technology and using tools such as Skype or other video-conferencing services, which enable them to see their patients’ faces while they talk. Essentially, video-conferencing options offer the best of both worlds.

Art Therapy

Finding a counselor to guide home-based rehabilitation is always best, but if paying for counseling is not feasible for you, you might consider trying art therapy. Art therapy is a blanket term for any artistic expression a recovering addict uses in place of substance abuse. For example, when a person feels the urge to use their drug of choice or another substance, they might instead pick up a quilting project.

Art in any form is a wonderful way to distract the mind from cravings, reduce stress, and even spend quality time with children. If your therapeutic activity of choice is kid-friendly, you might include your kids in your recovery process. Spending an hour painting together can be a great activity for family time.

Exercise and Meditation

Exercising in place of substance abuse is a very common component of rehabilitation. The endorphins produced by exercise can lessen cravings for the drug of choice while reducing the stress that might cause a relapse.

Exercising can also become a family activity. Going out on regular hikes with your kids will both help your recovery and provide an enjoyable activity for all members of your family, giving you time to talk about the things going on in your lives and reconnect with one another. However, if you find that you prefer exercise alone or with other adults, then your top priority should be recovery. You can’t be there for your children if you don’t prioritize your recovery.

Meditation is also a good aid in the addiction recovery process. The goal of meditation is to empty the mind which can be very beneficial in fighting cravings. Meditation has also been shown to reduce stress, lessening the chance of relapse.

Recovering at home is achievable for many people who are battling addiction, although it’s important to discuss your unique needs with a qualified healthcare provider or therapist. You will likely have better luck with the help of a guiding counselor, even if you only speak to them over the phone. But if counseling is simply not in the budget, you can recover with the help of a support network and some positive coping strategies. Reach out to friends and family, get the help you need, and focus on beneficial activities such as art, exercise, and meditation.